Xabi Alonso has reportedly laid out a trio of non-negotiable demands as Liverpool accelerate plans to make him their next manager, with sources in Spain claiming the switch is now “practically a done deal”.
Liverpool’s emphatic 6-0 demolition of Qarabag on Wednesday night booked their place in the Champions League last 16 and spared them an unwanted play-off round.
But that European comfort has done little to mask a worrying domestic slide.
After losing to Bournemouth at the weekend, the Reds have now gone five Premier League matches without a win and have slipped behind both Manchester United and Chelsea in the table.
Liverpool move to appoint Xabi Alonso as Arne Slot replacement
That downturn has intensified scrutiny on Slot, with Liverpool reluctant to pull the trigger mid-season but increasingly open to a summer reset.#
According to Fichajes, that reset will be led by Alonso, whose arrival is being framed as inevitable following his recent dismissal from Real Madrid.
The report claims Alonso is already mapping out Liverpool’s next phase and has made it clear that a “deep squad overhaul” is essential if the club want to return to competing at the very top.
One of his earliest calls would reportedly involve Ibrahima Konaté.
The French centre-back, who has struggled for consistency this season, is described as the first major name Alonso is willing to move on from.
Liverpool are said to have no intention of forcing a contract renewal if the incoming manager does not view him as central to future plans.
With Konaté able to leave on a free transfer at the end of the campaign and interest growing from Real Madrid and other European heavyweights, his situation could become one of the first flashpoints of a potentially seismic summer at Anfield.
Fichajes adds that Alonso “has already begun planning for next season, conveying a clear idea to the club: a profound renewal of the squad is necessary to compete at the highest level again.”
Liverpool need to get their decision over Slot and his successor spot on if they are to bounce back.
The Reds have become something of the laughing stock of the Premier League this season, with the Anfield fear factor all but gone.